


Faking It

by Noteventhat (Facialteeth)



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Accidental Relationship, Canon Rewrite, Clary and Simon Swap AU, Crack Treated Seriously, Developing Relationship, Face Slapping, First Dates, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, POV Jace Herondale, Protective Jace Wayland, Shadowhunter Simon Lewis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:35:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29513289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Facialteeth/pseuds/Noteventhat
Summary: Simon had only been a shadowhunter for a few weeks when he asked Jace to sneak out and help him break into a police station to steal something for his friend. Jace agreed because it sounded fun, because sending Simon out on his own wasn't an option and because he'd secretly wanted to help him, just because he knew it would make Simon happy.He hadn't quite expected to get slapped on that adventure, nor did he expect to be leaving the police station with his new boyfriend but Jace supposed that stranger things had happened before.
Relationships: Simon Lewis/Jace Wayland
Comments: 9
Kudos: 58
Collections: 5 Years of Shadowhunters Coda Event, SHBingo 20-21





	Faking It

**Author's Note:**

> This entire fic was written because I wanted to write the season one slapping scene with Jace and Simon for the malec servers rewatch.
> 
> This also happens to be my 'Fake Relationship' bingo square, even though it's more so 'fake relationship turned real relationship' but you know.

When Jace ran into Simon at the club and realized that Simon had the sight, he’d initially assumed that Simon was just a mundane who knew of the shadowworld. Simon was clearly not a shadowhunter. The clothes he was wearing, the distinct lack of pronounced shadowhunter muscle, the fact that he wasn’t carrying any weapons, the way he spoke, even the way he carried himself - It all screamed to Jace that he was just a mundane, so when Simon inevitably proved Jace wrong, he’d been shocked enough that he hadn’t known how to process it.

How could someone like that be a shadowhunter? Someone so innocent, someone so unburdened? But adamas didn’t lie and when Simon picked up that sword, the answer was undeniable. Simon was a shadowhunter and in that moment, Jace became enthralled. He tried to hide it of course but he was fascinated by Simon. He hung onto every word he said, even if he tried to play it off like he didn’t.

He pretended to be annoyed by him because it came easier than the alternatives. He snapped at Simon because he thought it would cover up the fact that Jace found him so very interesting but in the end, only really Simon seemed to buy that act.

Isabelle and Alec noticed where Jace’s attention was at instantly but they at least had the decency to stay quiet about it. They didn’t quite understand why Jace had taken such an invested interest in this one mundane-shadowhunter to be and honestly, Jace didn’t either.

He wasn’t _interested_ in anyone. He wasn’t curious about people the way he was curious about Simon. Even the mundane things Simon would rambled about, no matter how hard Jace pretended to find it all very annoying, it was interesting to him in a way that nothing mundane ever had been before.

Then, there was Clary who Jace somehow found even more annoying than Simon and this time, it wasn’t an act. The way Clary hung around Simon irritated him. The way they seemed to understand each other irritated him, even if he knew that wasn’t quite fair. He wished that he understood the things Simon said as easily as Clary did. He wished he could relate and talk about the stupid shows Simon liked but they’d grown up in completely different worlds. So, Jace pretended that he didn’t care about Simon at all and Simon seemed to buy it a little too much.

Jace overheard Simon telling Izzy that Jace hated him one day. She’d responded with amusement, telling him that Jace certainly didn’t hate him but it had been obvious that Simon didn’t believe her.

Jace had felt bad hearing that. He’d decided that he’d try to stop acting like everything Simon did bothered him and he’d stop acting so annoyed when he was actually interested in what Simon had to say but then, he’d walked out to them, Simon had opened his mouth and Jace had a sarcastic quip falling off his tongue before he could stop himself.

Old habits die hard, he supposed.

Valentine’s resurgence just happened to coincide with Simon showing up, something that the Clave had found very suspicious but in the end, they’d run an investigation and decided that Simon really had nothing to do with Valentine. He was just a child born to an unknown shadowhunter father, one that his mother hadn’t even known wasn’t human.

Though Simon had done nothing wrong, the Clave had also decided that he had to stay in the Institute. He had no training. He had done no studying. Valentine was on the loose and there were more demons running amuck now than in the past few months combined. It was too dangerous for him to leave, though Simon didn’t take too kindly to this.

He insisted that he wasn’t even sure if he wanted to join their band of tattooed, sword wielding heroes and that he didn’t think he was cut out for it. Jace insisted that he was a shadowhunter through and through and that he just needed to train more. Simon didn’t believe he’d ever be able to do what he, Alec and Isabelle did and he also missed his family.

He’d been pissed he wasn’t allowed to go see them but Jace convinced him that it was too dangerous and that being a shadowhunter made him a target of Valentines. In the end, Simon’s family assumed he ran away and Simon sent them periodic letters to solidify this, insisting that he was okay and that he loved them but that he was just going through a typical teenaged crisis.

Jace jokingly told him to tell them he’d run off to join a gang and after a moment, Simon wrote that he met a boy who was in a biker gang and that he swore they were in love and they were going to stay together forever. Jace didn’t comment on his choice of gender but he’d filed it away for later. He was a little more interested in that fact than he’d have liked.

Eventually, Simon had been cooped up in the Institute for so long that he insisted he needed to leave and he practically begged Jace to just take him somewhere. Now, Jace didn’t particularly care about breaking the Clave’s orders. He broke them quite often, much to Alec’s aggravation but it was the fact that the Clave had a point that worried him.

It was a dangerous time to be a shadowhunter and Simon was barely even one. A couple weeks worth of training wasn’t going to make him able to protect himself if they encountered a stray flock of demons or were attacked by Valentine’s men while they were out but in the end, Simon wore him down.

Jace wasn’t even sure why he agreed. Maybe, it was the fact that he was bored or maybe it was the fact that going out somewhere alone with Simon seemed appealing. Maybe, it was that it would make Simon happy. Either way, Jace agreed and in the early hours of the morning, when Jace had officially been released from his duties and was supposed to be in bed, they snuck out together.

Simon rambled happily as they left, holding the sword Jace had given him very much unlike a shadowhunter (he wasn’t even holding the blade the right way to snap it up if a demon lunged at him and he needed to act. Jace considered correcting him but in the end, he decided against it. Jace was there to protect him after all, if something happened). He told Jace all about this coffee stand he knew and how he was sure Jace would love it.

Jace simply nodded and they headed off to said coffee place. No demons jumped out at them on the way and when they got there, they both ordered coffee and took a seat at a small table. Jace inclined his head, raised an eyebrow and listened to Simon ramble about how vampires would use a french press (Jace was pretty sure that didn’t happen but he decided not to say this and burst Simon’s bubble).

Jace tried to listen. He nodded. He tried not to act annoyed enough to ruin Simon’s mood and in the end, he seemed to strike a good balance because he threw in an annoyed quip or a snide comment every once in a while but Simon still kept talking, undisturbed.

Maybe, Jace was getting better or maybe, Simon was just getting used to him. Either way, Jace sipped his coffee and he tried to ignore the fact that this felt so incredibly similar to a date, not that Jace had ever been on a real date before. If this was a date, it was his first and it was certainly his first with anyone he actually liked.

Jace didn’t share this out loud. He had no reason to think Simon thought of this as a date. Simon just wanted to get out of the Institute and Jace had simply been there, willing to break the rules for him. That didn’t mean Simon liked him or considered this illegal excursion anything but them getting coffee.

But later, when Izzy asked where they’d gone and Jace told her, she’d laughed and called it a date. Jace pretended to be offended by that but really, his heart had started beating fast the moment she said it. So, it might have been a date then, he thought. It wasn’t just him that saw it.

In the end, he didn’t have the balls to ask Simon what he thought of that but on their next date, this time at some mundane restaurant Simon liked, Jace went through it in his head and tried to list the reasons why this might _not_ be a date. He couldn’t think of many.

For a while, Simon had honestly stayed out of trouble, snuck out with Jace every other day and trained like he was supposed to but then, he’d inevitably gotten them involved in a mess. Now, Jace wasn’t too clear on the details if he was being honest. All he knew was that Simon woke him up one morning and asked if Jace would help him steal something from a police station for Clary.

Jace hadn’t quite wanted to do anything for Clary and he most certainly didn’t care about whatever mundane story there was that lead to her needing something stolen from a police station but what he did know was that Simon said he’d do it himself, if Jace didn’t want to help and that sounded like a horrible idea.

First of all, letting Simon leave the Institute alone wasn’t an option and second of all, Jace didn’t think Simon would get a foot in the door before he’d be caught. He didn’t even know how to use his glamour rune. Third of all, Jace knew that it was an excuse to spend time with Simon, doing something that to him would seem exciting and ‘dangerous’, even though they were shadowhunters and they’d face no real consequences for breaking into a mundane police station.

Jace groaned, said yes and then promptly got up and got dressed to go break into a police station with Simon. _That_ wasn’t quite a date but if Jace did want to count it, it was about their fifth or sixth one and Jace had to admit that it was by far the most exciting thus far.

Outside the police station, Jace pulled out his stele and demonstrated to Simon how to activate the glamour rune he’d just drawn on his arm. Now, Jace has assumed that Simon activated it and if he was being honest, that was probably a mistake on his part. It’s just, Jace drew it for him. He’d known that Simon would probably mess it up if he had to draw it, so he did the hard part himself and then, he left Simon with the easy part - swiping his stele across it to turn it on.

Jace didn’t watch Simon do this because he really hadn’t thought there was anyway Simon could mess it up. All he had to do was move his stele across it but apparently, Jace had overestimated him because when they walked into the police station, talking rather loudly about exactly why they were there, everyone inside had turned to look at Simon, who to them had just walked inside talking to himself.

Jace could have slapped him when Simon turned to look at him absolutely panicked (which Jace was sure looked amazing to all the people who only saw Simon looking off into space) but then, it had gotten worse. Someone from across the police station had exclaimed Simon’s name and it was then that Jace realized in the mundane world, Simon was a missing runaway - though he was technically an adult, he was still a missing run away who’d just walked into a police station talking to himself.

Jace threw his arms up in the universal sign for ‘what the fuck Simon’ before he turned without a word and marched back out of the police station. Jace heard Simon yell after him (which again, Jace was sure looked _amazing_ to everyone who couldn’t see him) but Jace kept walking and outside, he let out an aggravated sigh, swiped his stele across his arm to deactivate his glamour rune before he turned again and marched back into the police station, this time entirely visible.

The relief on Simon’s face when Jace came back almost made dealing with all of this worth it. Almost.

“Simon!” Jace snapped, his voice echoing across the police station, making everyone who’d been previously staring at Simon in concern look over. Jace made his way up to him and grabbed Simon’s hand, tugging him gently as if to make him move towards the door. “You’re overreacting,” he snapped, staring at Simon’s wide eyed face. He really wasn’t the best at improv. “I only cheated on you once, you don’t have to go home,” he snapped, which is when Simon’s eyes widened a fraction more and he seemed to realize exactly what was happening.

Simon had told his family he’d run away to be with a boy in a biker gang. Jace was a boy. He was wearing a leather jacket and if posing as Simon’s boyfriend was something Jace was a little excited to do, well no one needed to know that.

Simon ripped his hand away from Jace’s as if he was infuriated and Jace couldn’t help the amusement that he was sure was shining on his face. This situation was just so ridiculous but Jace had to admit that it was fun to play around and cause a diversion when their lives weren’t on the line, as they often were. Jace was hardly emotionally invested in stealing for Simon’s friend, so he really didn’t care if this plan failed. There would be no dire consequences for failing, so Jace was more than okay with having some fun with it.

That is, until Simon brought his hand back and slapped Jace across the face, something that seemed to stir all of the police officers who’d been previously standing around doing nothing to jump into action. Two of them came instantly grabbing Jace as if he wasn’t the one who’d just been assaulted in front of them.

“Stop following me!” Simon snapped at him as he made his way across the room to a desk that it seemed Simon was more than familiar with. He ripped the drawer open and started looking through it as casually as if he owned it. “You’ll never see me in your crappy apartment again!” Simon yelled over his shoulder, which Jace really thought was a little bit of overkill.

He was already being held, he’d been slapped and Simon really didn’t need to make Jace look any worse than he already did but regardless, after a moment, Jace jumped into action, calling across the room to him. “Simon! I just need you to know that it only happened like two or three times- it only happened a couple of times!”

Simon looked up at him, snapping as he slipped something into his pocket. “Shut up!”

“Babe, come on!” Jace yelled, finding a bit too much enjoyment at calling Simon that. He’d never been one to call people ‘babe’ before but if it was Simon and if Simon would look at him with that adorable surprised expression every time, well Jace wouldn’t really mind incorporating it into his vocabulary.

Finally, a police officer made their way over to Simon, asking why exactly Simon was going through someone’s desk and where he’d come from. Jace heard Simon say something about a key he needed for Clary and about how, no they shouldn’t call his parents, he was on his way to see them anyway. Jace took that as his cue to make his exit. Simon had gotten what he needed and though Jace could get out of it, he really didn’t feel like being locked up in a mundane jail cell.

Jace pulled his arms away from the people holding him and turned to make his way back outside, where he stood around and waited for Simon, who finally came out a few minutes later. “Slapping me, really?” Jace asked as they turned and started walking down the sidewalk, towards wherever Simon had agreed to meet Clary.

“I thought it would make it look authentic!” Simon said as he reached into his pocket to pull out his phone, probably to text Clary herself. “You cheated on me, dude. I’d be pissed.”

“I’d never actually cheat on you,” Jace said instantly, the words rolling off his tongue before he could really think them through.

Instantly, Simon froze, his phone held limp in his hands as he looked up to Jace, frowning. “I didn’t think you’d ever date me either,” Simon said slowly, laughing as if it were a joke even though there was something about the way he said it that made him sound tentatively hopeful.

Jace glared, stopping next to him and crossing his arms over his chest. He was speaking before he could think about what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it, which was apparently something that Jace did a lot around Simon. “Well, maybe you shouldn’t assume,” Jace snapped, his words sounding far more confident and contained than Jace really felt.

Simon blinked a couple of times before blurting out, “You’d want to date me? _Me_?”

Instantly, Jace rolled his eyes and turned to keep walking. The answer was clearly yes and Jace didn’t understand why Simon couldn’t just tell him if he was interested or if Jace had just humiliated himself. “Never mind,” Jace said, only stilling again when Simon’s hand snapped out to grab his own.

“Wait, Jace.”

Jace finally looked to him, his jaw tight in his mouth.

“I'd be open to dating if you uh- if you wanted to.” When Jace failed to speak right away, Simon continued. “I just assumed you wouldn’t be interested. I mean you’re all-” Simon gestured to Jace vaguely, “-and you always get annoyed with me and I’m uh, well I’m me.” Simon blinked a few more times and when he spoke again, his voice was suddenly soft in a way that made Jace’s heart melt a little. “That would be nice if you were serious.”

Jace’s shoulders relaxed slowly. He took a moment to process what exactly Simon said and then, he rolled his eyes but it was a lighthearted, playful motion. At least, Jace hoped it appeared that way because really wasn’t good at this kind of serious conversation. “Of course, I was serious,” Jace insisted without looking at him. “We’ve been on like six dates. Why would I do that if I didn’t like you?”

Jace turned and started walking again, intent on getting wherever they were going to meet Clary so that Simon could promptly give her whatever he’d needed and they could get back to the Institute, before the police were out looking for Simon when he failed to go home.

“Wait, those were dates?” Simon asked as he darted after Jace, trying to keep up with his quick pace. “I thought you just liked trying new foods.”

Instantly, Jace scoffed. “Simon, I’ve never gone into a restaurant to eat with anyone in my entire life. The food was okay sure but I did it because I wanted to spend time with you.”

For a beat, Simon was silent and then, he was exclaiming, “Holy shit. I really do have a boyfriend in a gang.”

Jace paused to look back at him incorrigibly. “I’m not in a gang,” he snapped even as the word ‘boyfriend’ was ringing through Jace’s head. He’d had people call him that only a couple of times and it had always been something Jace associated with panic before he promptly cut them off and never talked to them again. This time, Jace heard the word a little differently. This time, Jace thought it sounded nice.

“Well, the tattoos-”

“Runes,” Jace corrected softly.

Simon ignored him and kept going. “-the jacket, the weird ritualistic things you all do-”

Jace rolled his eyes yet again. He didn’t think that quite sounded like a gang but then again, he’d never been in one. “If I’m in a gang, then you are too,” he insisted.

“Yeah,” Simon said, suddenly smiling. “I’ve been indoctrinated by my hot boyfriend.” A moment after he said it, Simon’s smile faltered. “Too early?” He asked nervously.

Jace stared for a moment before he shook his head, trying and probably failing to hide exactly how much he liked hearing Simon say that. “Not too early,” he murmured in response.

Simon hesitated for another moment, looking as if he was debating something before he finally reached forward and took Jace’s hand into his own. That too was something Jace had never really done before. Like the word ‘boyfriend’, hand holding was all too personal for the people he’d been with before that he had not cared about. Now, the feeling of Simon’s hand in his own made Jace feel fuzzy and warm.

“Too early?” Simon asked softly.

Jace tightened his hand on Simon’s own. “Not too early,” he repeated before he was walking again, pulling Simon by his hand until Simon finally started walking again, clutching Jace’s hand tight in his own as if he was scared Jace would let go if he loosened his grip. “Let’s get to Clary and get back to the Institute before you get us involved in some other mundane mess.”

Jace expected Simon to have some witty remark back but Simon didn’t. He simply squeezed Jace’s hand and nodded. It occurred to Jace after a moment that Simon might want to get to the Institute to be alone with him and as the thought occurred to him, Jace felt his stomach light up with what he could only describe as butterflies.

He’d never understood when people described that feeling to him but he understood now. Jace tightened his grip on Simon’s hand and kept walking, a touch faster now, suddenly looking forward to getting home for more reasons than simply safety.


End file.
